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Do you remember your first photo taken with a camera, when you only had one chance to make it right and could never predict the printed result which often ended up with red eyes, awkward face or messy hair? Or your first selfie with a phone of such awful quality you could barely spot the features? Now look at your Instagram feed - we‘ve come so far! And I am not just talking about technology, we have so much inspiration around us – it‘s overwhelming. Photography is no longer for preserving memories as it used to be, it‘s about making the memories while taking the pictures, sharing, popularity, art... you name it.

Social media is packed with amazing cinematic photos, and although sometimes there is a team of professional photographers, make-up artists and stylists behind those images, there is another side to the story. Many photographers invite us to the behind the scenes of their perfect shots proving that it’s achievable to most of us with very minimal resources and even in the most unexpected locations as we’ve previously shared on Bored Pandahere and here.

In the constant battle for attention and hunting for ‘likes’ on social media, is it smart to reveal what makes your photos so flawless, you ask? Well, it definitely works for a Mexican photographer Omah, who has gained over 100k followers eager to find out how to step up their Instagram game. Even though he is a professional photographer, the truth he reveals with his photos is utterly motivating – it’s possible to capture a stunning Instagram-worthy shot with lots of creativity and a little bit of Photoshop magic. No one has to know that your eye-catching picture was taken in the public bathroom, a parking lot outside your office or, a true classic, in front of a screen – and this is what actually makes it impressive.

You can’t fully trust what you see on the Internet, take a look at this enlightening series of behind-the-scenes by Omah to find out why and learn some tips and tricks about how to easily shine on your social media.

"I trusted more than 100 thousand pesos to a cheap plastic case to be able to make this picture… was it worth it or was it stupid?" says Omahi. Well, if your photo looks like a movie poster or the cover of a best-seller, we say – totally worth it.

You can take advantage of any given weather condition when taking a photo, but try to go the extra mile to achieve a romantic movie-worthy shot. There is no such thing as bad weather if you're creative enough.

Just over 3 hours of attempts and dozens of burnt pages – the romantic shot is done. It is in fact possible to take a breathtaking picture even for non-professionals, no one said it's always quick and effortless.

Great visual but it hurts my soul to see printed words burn, my inner bookworm does not approve but I'm placating it by assuming they photocopied some pages out of a book. If you find my thought process confusing, weird and a little sad - welcome to my wheelhouse!

Even the weirdest and the simplest of locations can be transformed into majestic backgrounds if you are creative enough. You get some extra points for being able to create your own scenography out of things you find in your daily life.

With a true classic – a screen as a background, you can teleport to anywhere in the world. I don't encourage lying to your followers about your location, but if you like deserts and don't live close to one, why don't you just bring the desert to your house?

Sometimes the behind-the-scenes are close to what we see in a final picture, and it's both fascinating and frightening. Especially, when the photographer clearly has a thing for fire. Needless to say, the photo is amazing, but don't try this at home.

We look for a perfect location to take the perfect shot, but not everyone can find themselves on a beach or enchanting forest on a regular basis. Who said you couldn't make a good and captivating picture in a public bathroom? Imagine all the possibilities you've missed!

If you are not a professional photographer and don't own luxurious equipment that costs thousands of dollars, a flash on a phone and the closest area with an artsy vibe is a way to go! This abandoned factory smelled of urine, and this is why we sometimes appreciate that photos don't convey scents, but they can definitely evoke imagined smell, and I am truly sorry for this!

When you have a clear vision in your head and a set of minimal skills, a simple park becomes the best scenario for a dreamy photo shoot. Confused looks of people passing by in the park will mean nothing compared to impressed followers.

Sometimes looking for the perfect angle takes you to strange places. This is the uncolored truth behind photography – it's sometimes dirty, smelly and physically challenging. How far would you go for a stunning shot?

Some people will see it as an abandoned dusty place, others will see the ugly vandalism, but only the most creative ones will spot a perfect place for a photo shoot and get inspired. Seeing the beauty in the unexpected is a true talent.

Wish to create a winter wonderland in the middle of summer? Not a problem at all! A creative approach and few basic essentials will transform a local park into dreamlike scenery and leave everyone wondering if you took a getaway up North recently.

A fire extinguisher in this photographer's house is a must. Although his obsession with fire makes for some mesmerizing images, we can't help holding our breath each time he reveals the behind-the-scenes.

Capturing movement in photos is a serious challenge, especially when people are passing by your performance on the street. But when the result is becoming a real-life fruit ninja – it's totally worth the effort.

Implementing different scenarios for a photo shoot may come handy in other aspects of life. For this picture, the photographer had to learn how to make a torch. A skill he will be able to use when camping in the dark or the next time he comes up with a crazy idea like this.

Here is yet another example of how you can use the changing seasons and natural environment to spice up your Instagram account. It might look hilarious from the side, but who cares when you end up looking like an autumn goddess in the finished photo.

The magic is in the details, but when you see what it takes to create the photo is when you can truly appreciate it. Omah cut his finger in the process of making this image, and I'd say it's a fairly mild consequence when imagining what could have happened.

This portrait is 'fire'. Literally. This is a real fire, it's also the reason such a simple shot, at first glance, took two days to make. There are a lot of dangerous jobs out there, who knew photography was one of them.

Just a casual day laying in flowers right outside a "Corner Deli". With a bit of imagination, dull places you pass everyday turn into magical locations for flawless portraits. But there is no magic involved – just the ability to see what most people don't notice.

If you just bought a new house plant, you might as well use it for a photo shoot in the parking lot. Beautiful, nature-inspired subtle portraits will always be a trend and you don't need to rent a costly studio to achieve a similar result – just use whatever you have on hand.

How can you describe Las Vegas in one photo? Well, this vivid photo would be a decent attempt. Photographing in super crowdy touristic places and low lighting is always challenging. This image took Omah two whole days of attempts until he was satisfied with the result.

It's an example of an utterly entertaining activity you can practice on a lunch break on your office's top floor. When recreating this particular shot, you should probably switch the fire with something else, just in case. The end result might not be as exciting, but safety comes first.

Flowers are, of course, an easy way to make your photos bloom. Yet what to do once the flowers begin to wither? Either throw them away... Or turn them into ashes while having a camera near you. And while the result will be stunning, just make sure the fire alarm system is installed in the building.

Fascinated by music, movies and sitcoms, I'm passionate about social media and can't live without the internet, especially for all the cute dog and cat pictures out there. I wish the day had about 40 hours to be able to do everything I want.

This is so easy. All you need is to have a team of pros on hand, to find a location, styling, props, staging, photo equipment, professional photographer and post-production wizardry. Piece of cake, really. Joking besides, Omah is obviously a very talented and creative photographer. Is it not sad though, that there has been such inflation in what is "Instagram worthy" that what we are in real life may not be considered "worthy" of a shared photo?

I was thinking that as I read too, I just want to see a picture of your dog or a cave you visited, I don’t need professional shots of gorgeous models with gorgeous props and a ton of photo editing to consider a picture “Instagram worthy”

His work is actually easy. Just zoom in and you can use any environment as a studio. Have your uni friends to help out, but you don't need them, only improvisation. His post prod skills need work as well as composition and styling.

Most of these pictures are crap. With all due respect to the photographer, these are cheesy, dark, over filtered, unoriginal photographs.
You can tell these are done by a student or something like that. Neat tricks, sure. But the technic and the feeling of the photos are lacking.

This is so easy. All you need is to have a team of pros on hand, to find a location, styling, props, staging, photo equipment, professional photographer and post-production wizardry. Piece of cake, really. Joking besides, Omah is obviously a very talented and creative photographer. Is it not sad though, that there has been such inflation in what is "Instagram worthy" that what we are in real life may not be considered "worthy" of a shared photo?

I was thinking that as I read too, I just want to see a picture of your dog or a cave you visited, I don’t need professional shots of gorgeous models with gorgeous props and a ton of photo editing to consider a picture “Instagram worthy”

His work is actually easy. Just zoom in and you can use any environment as a studio. Have your uni friends to help out, but you don't need them, only improvisation. His post prod skills need work as well as composition and styling.

Most of these pictures are crap. With all due respect to the photographer, these are cheesy, dark, over filtered, unoriginal photographs.
You can tell these are done by a student or something like that. Neat tricks, sure. But the technic and the feeling of the photos are lacking.